Pictograph of a person facing upwards with their mouth open over a fire. Based on the original meaning "burn". The meaning later shifted to "bake", "dry out", and "clay".
Shuowen Jiezi
《說文》：“堇，黏土也。从土，从黄省。、皆古文堇。”
Original meaning
burn
Components
◎(iconic) — Depicts a person facing upwards with their mouth open.